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Out with the Old: Selling Your Old Gadgets

We techies have a tendency to chase after the new. With a front-row seat to what’s next, can you blame us? But the problem with this is that most of us don’t do anything with our legacy machines, and many of them end up improperly disposed in landfill or collecting dust in our basements. Instead of tossing your gadgets aside, why not sell them? It’s a double whammy, saving waste and earning cash at the same time.

In an effort to reduce my waste and be a better citizen of Gaia, I am doing my best to embrace my role in the Second-Hand Economy. This is the economy of donation, trading, reselling, and buying used items.

In 2014, Canadians disposed of 9,966,775 tonnes of waste from the household on top of the 15,136,259 tonnes of waste disposed in public, non-domestic locations ([1] Statistics Canada). How much of this could be saved by being sold or donated? According to the 2017 Second-Hand Economy Index by Kijiji, last year 82% of Canadians participated in a second-hand exchange, which includes 78 products per person and $29 billion spent in the second-hand market [2].

People spend some big bucks on second hand goods, even ones you may not think are so valuable. On average, Canadians spend $2,124 on computer equipment on Kijiji, $1,308 on electronics equipment, and $2,653 on photo equipment and cameras. So next time you’re moving on from a gadget, consider selling it first – the average Canadian earned $1,037 selling their items but earnings went as high as $2,000. Take a look at these tips from Canadian tech expert Marc Saltzman to help you get the most value for your item!

Marc Saltzman’s Tips for Selling Online:

Snap good photos: Use quality photos to ensure buyers can easily see what they are purchasing (and try to take photos yourself instead of stock imagery).

Set your price: Research the going rate for your item to determine a competitive price that will attract buyers. Also, pad your selling price a little so there’s some wiggle room to come down a bit and negotiate with potential buyers. You can also indicate “or best offer” (OBO) if you’re flexible with pricing.

Craft a solid description: Describe your item in detail and provide the year, model number, and condition. This is particularly important for tech items as there are often a variety of models or duplicates of items available at any given time.

Real-time correspondence: Use the Kijiji app to easily post your ad and communicate with potential buyers in real-time on your mobile device.

Capture attention: Use something eye-catching in your headline, perhaps include words like “REDUCED PRICE” or “MUST SELL THIS WEEK,” and if your item is in great condition, highlight that upfront.

Maximize reach: Try out these insider tips to increase views and traffic to your ad – Geo-target your ad to your area, but consider also posting to a few nearby neighbourhoods to increase the odds of your ad being seen.
There are a variety of categories you can post within, so post to a few (relevant) categories to broaden the reach.

Don’t commit until the sale is complete: There’s a lot of interest that doesn’t always materialize for a variety of reasons, and you may also get a lot of interest around the same time, so don’t ever tell people you’ll hold it for them. Tell everyone it’s first come, first serve and review each offer to select the one you’re most comfortable with. Also, when you secure the right buyer and complete the transaction, be sure to take down the ad so other buyers are aware it’s no longer available and you’re not receiving new requests or offers.

There is no such thing as a great get rich quick scheme. But something I’ve been trying to embrace lately is saving and earning money with things I already own. The first piece of this is being hesitant to buy new things. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely not a frugal person. I have no qualms with spending money when it’s on “the right things” – read, things that I really need or care about and purchases that are thought through. But I do have a problem with being wasteful, and I’ve come to realize that here in North America we live in a devastating waste-first culture. After recycling, composting, and choosing low-waste products when shopping, embracing the second-hand economy is the next step to lowering our negative footprint on the earth.